
Winter 2007 IPRT Grants Sow Seeds for Economic Development The Technology Commercialization group of IPRT’s Company Assistance program has awarded nearly $95,000 to five early-stage research projects. The funds will support preliminary research on Iowa State innovations with potential to foster economic development in Iowa. The projects are sponsored through funds provided to IPRT Company Assistance from the “Grow Iowa Values Fund,” a state economic- development program. Each project also includes matching funds from the research group or industry partner. “These seed grants will help projects get to a stage where further funding is much more likely,” IPRT director George Kraus says. Moreover, the grants are made with an eye for commercial potential. “Our Technology Commercialization associates have a good handle on what technologies will succeed in the market and have carefully selected projects they believe can someday contribute to Iowa’s economy,” Kraus adds. Many early-stage projects funded by IPRT go on to garner further grants, and some even become the basis for start-up companies. Indeed, the new projects with promising results will be encouraged to submit proposals to Iowa State’s Grow Iowa Values Fund program in spring 2008. Projects receiving funding: $20,000 to Michael Kessler, professor of materials science and engineering, and Richard Larock, Distinguished Professor of chemistry and a scientist in IPRT’s Center for Catalysis, for an effort to make window frames from agricultural oils. $20,000 to Ying Cai, professor of computer science, for technology to protect privacy in location-based services, such as text-based messaging on cell phones. $19,990 to Viren Amin andBruce Thompson, both scientists in IPRT’s Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, and Tom Baas, professor of animal science, for developing ultrasound technology to improve meat-quality evaluation in food animals. $19,266 to Michael Olsen, professor of mechanical engineering, and Hui Hu, professor of aerospace engineering, to develop a new generation of flow meters for testing diesel engines. $15,017 to Timothy Ellis, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, to develop technology that uses recycled tire products to scrub air and waste treatment gases to remove hydrogen sulfide. IPRT IPRT’s Utrata Addresses Southwest Iowa Manufacturers Dave Utrata, manager of IPRT Company Assistance’s nondestructive evaluation group, spoke to a gathering of southwest Iowa manufacturers in October. His talk focused on the different stages of manufacturing in which NDE could be used. He also highlighted several successful NDE applications in manufacturing. Jeff Mohr, a manufacturing expert from Iowa State’s Center for Industrial Research and Service, also gave a talk at the meeting. Mohr discussed Training Within Industry, or TWI, a practice that manufacturers can pursue with the goal of continuous improvement. The event was a meeting of the Southwest Iowa Manufacturers Alliance for Quality, or SWIMAQ, an association of manufacturers and organizations from Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Page, Pottawattamie and Shelby counties. "This presentation was very interesting," says Bernie Duis, SWIMAQ coordinator. Duis, who is also the director of economic development at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, adds that a past presentation by Utrata resulted in two company assistance projects for IPRT. Utrata and Rick Lopez, a scientist in the NDE group, make similar presentations around Iowa throughout the year to educate manufacturers on the benefits of NDE. Contact Dave Utrata for more information. IPRT MRC Hosts IPRT Advisory Board Meeting Rana Biswas (left), a scientist with IPRT's Microelectronics Research Center and a professor of physics and astronomy at Iowa State, discusses photonic bandgap crystals with Scott DeBoer, a member of the IPRT Industrial Advisory board and director of process engineering at Micron Technology, Inc. IPRT’s Microelectronics Research Center hosted the 2007 fall meeting of the IPRT Industrial Advisory Board in early November. Vikram Dalal, MRC director, updated the board on the center's research and new faculty members. The event also marked the first board meeting led by IPRT's new director George Kraus. Kraus outlined new initiatives under way at IPRT, and says he looks forward to further insights from board members as IPRT continues to evolve. IPRT Schneider/Square D Engineers Take IPRT “Seminar” Engineers from the Square D Cedar Rapids Design Center discuss the capabilities of IPRT’s Materials Preparation Center with director Larry Jones (center). Seven engineers visited IPRT in early November as part of the organization’s monthly engineering seminars. The group also met with representatives from IPRT’s Center for Building Energy Research, Center for Nondestructive Evaluation and the Microelectronics Research Center as well as IPRT Company Assistance. The company’s Design Center develops circuit breakers and is part of Schneider Electric, a worldwide manufacturer with sales of $18 billion. IPRT	IPRT Well Represented at BIO 2007 IPRT and its representatives were all over the recent 2007 Biobased Industry Outlook Conference, which was attended by over 750 people representing more than 20 states and seven foreign countries, academia, industry, government, and nongovernmental organizations. The event was held at the Iowa State Center. Lynne Mumm (center), a technology commercialization associate with IPRT Company Assistance, and Dave Utrata (right), manager of the NDE group in IPRT Company Assistance, discuss IPRT services at the BIO 2007 conference. Robert C. Brown, director of IPRT's Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies, Iowa Farm Bureau director of Biorenewables Programs at Iowa State and Bergles Professor in Thermal Science, moderated a forum of presidential candidates. Victor Lin, director of IPRT's Center for Catalysis, spoke at a session on Thermochemical Conversion of Bio-based Feedstocks to Oils and Chemicals. CCAT also had a booth in the exhibition area staffed by CCAT assistant director Brian Trewyn. Also on hand were representatives from IPRT Company Assistance, who informed attendees about IPRT's technology commercialization and technical assistance services for bio-related Iowa companies. IPRT director George Kraus was on the conference's organizing committee. Next year's event is set for September 8-9, 2008. IPRT IPRT Centers Brief VPR IPRT center directors and company assistance managers, including Robert Brown of IPRT's Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies, gave John Brighton, Iowa State University vice president of research and economic development an update on their efforts in October. IPRT IPRT Attends Developers & Venture Capital Events In its ongoing effort to spread the word about its services for Iowa companies, IPRT Company Assistance’s Technology Commercialization group attended and worked displays at two conferences this fall. Lynne Mumm and Brian Muff attended the Professional Developers of Iowa conference, while Muff and Kim Bentley worked the Iowa Venture Capital and Entrepreneur Conference. IPRT IPRT in the News VRAC Part of New CyberInnovation Institute CNDE Scientists Develop Leak-Detection Technology
Interact with IPRT Show Your IPRT Pride with a "Corn" Shirt In honor of IPRT's 20th anniversary, polo shirts with the "IPRT Works for Iowa" logo are now on sale! These are special shirts made of a new corn fiber called Ingeo™. There's nothing corny about these shirts, however. They're color-fast, wrinkle-free and will not shrink. The shirts are $20; orders are due November 30, 2007. See the order form (PDF). More info. IPRT Fun for a Good Cause: Ames Lab/IPRT Holiday Party Dec. 6 The annual Ames Laboratory/IPRT Holiday Party and Auction will be held Dec. 6 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Spedding auditorium. All IPRT employees are invited and encouraged to attend. There's food, drink and plenty of fun during the silent and live auctions. This year's beneficiary is “Shop with a Cop,“ a program held annually by the Ames Police Benevolent Association. IPRT Join the "Change a Light" Campaign George Kraus, IPRT director, invities IPRT employees to join the "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign sponsored by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency. The effort aims to save energy by replacing one light bulb in your home with a qualified ENERGY STAR® bulb (such as a compact fluorescent light bulb). Sign up to take the ENERGY STAR® Change a Light pledge. Select "Institute for Physical Research and Technology" from the “Which organization referred you here” pull-down menu, and IPRT will get credit for your pledge. More info. IPRT
About IPRT News The Institute for Physical Research and Technology is a network of scientific research centers at Iowa State University. In addition to performing world-class scientific research, IPRT provides technical assistance and contract research services to Iowa companies and offers education programs for students from middle through graduate school. This monthly email newsletter is produced by IPRT Public Affairs for IPRT employees and all interested parties. • Subscribe: Robert Mills, IPRT Public Affairs, rmills@iastate.edu, 515-294-1113. • Contribute news: Robert Mills, IPRT Public Affairs, rmills@iastate.edu, 515-294-1113. • View a Web version here. Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

Winter 2007

IPRT Grants Sow Seeds for Economic Development

The Technology Commercialization group of IPRT’s Company Assistance program has awarded nearly $95,000 to five early-stage research projects. The funds will support preliminary research on Iowa State innovations with potential to foster economic development in Iowa. The projects are sponsored through funds provided to IPRT Company Assistance from the “Grow Iowa Values Fund,” a state economic- development program. Each project also includes matching funds from the research group or industry partner.

“These seed grants will help projects get to a stage where further funding is much more likely,” IPRT director George Kraus says. Moreover, the grants are made with an eye for commercial potential. “Our Technology Commercialization associates have a good handle on what technologies will succeed in the market and have carefully selected projects they believe can someday contribute to Iowa’s economy,” Kraus adds.

Many early-stage projects funded by IPRT go on to garner further grants, and some even become the basis for start-up companies. Indeed, the new projects with promising results will be encouraged to submit proposals to Iowa State’s Grow Iowa Values Fund program in spring 2008. Projects receiving funding:

$20,000 to Michael Kessler, professor of materials science and engineering, and Richard Larock, Distinguished Professor of chemistry and a scientist in IPRT’s Center for Catalysis, for an effort to make window frames from agricultural oils.
$20,000 to Ying Cai, professor of computer science, for technology to protect privacy in location-based services, such as text-based messaging on cell phones.
$19,990 to Viren Amin andBruce Thompson, both scientists in IPRT’s Center for Nondestructive Evaluation, and Tom Baas, professor of animal science, for developing ultrasound technology to improve meat-quality evaluation in food animals.
$19,266 to Michael Olsen, professor of mechanical engineering, and Hui Hu, professor of aerospace engineering, to develop a new generation of flow meters for testing diesel engines.
$15,017 to Timothy Ellis, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, to develop technology that uses recycled tire products to scrub air and waste treatment gases to remove hydrogen sulfide. IPRT

IPRT’s Utrata Addresses Southwest
Iowa Manufacturers

Dave Utrata, manager of IPRT Company Assistance’s nondestructive evaluation group, spoke to a gathering of southwest Iowa manufacturers in October. His talk focused on the different stages of manufacturing in which NDE could be used. He also highlighted several successful NDE applications in manufacturing. Jeff Mohr, a manufacturing expert from Iowa State’s Center for Industrial Research and Service, also gave a talk at the meeting. Mohr discussed Training Within Industry, or TWI, a practice that manufacturers can pursue with the goal of continuous improvement.

The event was a meeting of the Southwest Iowa Manufacturers Alliance for Quality, or SWIMAQ, an association of manufacturers and organizations from Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Page, Pottawattamie and Shelby counties. "This presentation was very interesting," says Bernie Duis, SWIMAQ coordinator. Duis, who is also the director of economic development at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa, adds that a past presentation by Utrata resulted in two company assistance projects for IPRT.

Utrata and Rick Lopez, a scientist in the NDE group, make similar presentations around Iowa throughout the year to educate manufacturers on the benefits of NDE. Contact Dave Utrata for more information. IPRT

MRC Hosts IPRT Advisory Board Meeting

Rasa Biswas (left) and Scott DeBoer at IPRT advisory board meeting.

Rana Biswas (left), a scientist with IPRT's Microelectronics Research Center and a professor of physics and astronomy at Iowa State, discusses photonic bandgap crystals with Scott DeBoer, a member of the IPRT Industrial Advisory board and director of process engineering at Micron Technology, Inc.

IPRT’s Microelectronics Research Center hosted the 2007 fall meeting of the IPRT Industrial Advisory Board in early November. Vikram Dalal, MRC director, updated the board on the center's research and new faculty members. The event also marked the first board meeting led by IPRT's new director George Kraus. Kraus outlined new initiatives under way at IPRT, and says he looks forward to further insights from board members as IPRT continues to evolve. IPRT

Schneider/Square D Engineers Take IPRT “Seminar”

Larry Jones with Schneider Electric engineers

Engineers from the Square D Cedar Rapids Design Center discuss the capabilities of IPRT’s Materials Preparation Center with director Larry Jones (center). Seven engineers visited IPRT in early November as part of the organization’s monthly engineering seminars. The group also met with representatives from IPRT’s Center for Building Energy Research, Center for Nondestructive Evaluation and the Microelectronics Research Center as well as IPRT Company Assistance. The company’s Design Center develops circuit breakers and is part of Schneider Electric, a worldwide manufacturer with sales of $18 billion. IPRT

IPRT Well Represented at BIO 2007

IPRT and its representatives were all over the recent 2007 Biobased Industry Outlook Conference, which was attended by over 750 people representing more than 20 states and seven foreign countries, academia, industry, government, and nongovernmental organizations. The event was held at the Iowa State Center.

Lynne Mumm (center) and Dave Utrata at BIO 2007

Lynne Mumm (center), a technology commercialization associate with IPRT Company Assistance, and Dave Utrata (right), manager of the NDE group in IPRT Company Assistance, discuss IPRT services at the BIO 2007 conference.

Robert C. Brown, director of IPRT's Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies, Iowa Farm Bureau director of Biorenewables Programs at Iowa State and Bergles Professor in Thermal Science, moderated a forum of presidential candidates. Victor Lin, director of IPRT's Center for Catalysis, spoke at a session on Thermochemical Conversion of Bio-based Feedstocks to Oils and Chemicals. CCAT also had a booth in the exhibition area staffed by CCAT assistant director Brian Trewyn.

Also on hand were representatives from IPRT Company Assistance, who informed attendees about IPRT's technology commercialization and technical assistance services for bio-related Iowa companies. IPRT director George Kraus was on the conference's organizing committee. Next year's event is set for September 8-9, 2008. IPRT

IPRT Centers
Brief VPR

IPRT center directors and company assistance managers, including Robert Brown of IPRT's Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies, gave John Brighton, Iowa State University vice president of research and economic development an update on their efforts in October. IPRT

IPRT Attends Developers & Venture Capital Events

In its ongoing effort to spread the word about its services for Iowa companies, IPRT Company Assistance’s Technology Commercialization group attended and worked displays at two conferences this fall. Lynne Mumm and Brian Muff attended the Professional Developers of Iowa conference, while Muff and Kim Bentley worked the Iowa Venture Capital and Entrepreneur Conference. IPRT

IPRT in the News

VRAC Part of New
CyberInnovation Institute

CNDE Scientists Develop Leak-Detection Technology

Interact with IPRT

Show Your IPRT Pride with a "Corn" Shirt

In honor of IPRT's 20th anniversary, polo shirts with the "IPRT Works for Iowa" logo are now on sale! These are special shirts made of a new corn fiber called Ingeo™. There's nothing corny about these shirts, however. They're color-fast, wrinkle-free and will not shrink. The shirts are $20; orders are due November 30, 2007. See the order form (PDF). More info. IPRT

Fun for a Good Cause: Ames Lab/IPRT Holiday Party Dec. 6

The annual Ames Laboratory/IPRT Holiday Party and Auction will be held Dec. 6 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Spedding auditorium. All IPRT employees are invited and encouraged to attend. There's food, drink and plenty of fun during the silent and live auctions. This year's beneficiary is “Shop with a Cop,“ a program held annually by the Ames Police Benevolent Association. IPRT

Join the "Change a Light" Campaign

George Kraus, IPRT director, invities IPRT employees to join the "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign sponsored by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency. The effort aims to save energy by replacing one light bulb in your home with a qualified ENERGY STAR® bulb (such as a compact fluorescent light bulb). Sign up to take the ENERGY STAR® Change a Light pledge. Select "Institute for Physical Research and Technology" from the “Which organization referred you here” pull-down menu, and IPRT will get credit for your pledge. More info. IPRT

About IPRT News

The Institute for Physical Research and Technology is a network of scientific research centers at Iowa State University. In addition to performing world-class scientific research, IPRT provides technical assistance and contract research services to Iowa companies and offers education programs for students from middle through graduate school.

This monthly email newsletter is produced by IPRT Public Affairs for IPRT employees and all interested parties.
• Subscribe: Robert Mills, IPRT Public Affairs, rmills@iastate.edu, 515-294-1113.
• Contribute news: Robert Mills, IPRT Public Affairs, rmills@iastate.edu, 515-294-1113.
• View a Web version here.

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.